Hand-bag



(No Model?) I J. M. ALLEN.-

HAND BAG- No. 518,478. Patented Apr. 17, 1894.

nmnnmllllltllil HHIWIMH ht? 11min! Ir J11? T 1 H ll I I Uwrrno STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. ALLEN, OF MARION, MASSACHUSETTS.

HAN D-BAG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 518,478, dated April 17, 1 894. Application filed August 30, 1892- Serial No. 444,535- (No model.)

.To 60% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN M. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Bags; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to various new and useful improvements in hand bags, which are especially adapted for use by travelers for carrying small quantities of clothing and the necessary articles of toilet, but my invention may also be used for the purpose of a ladys shopping bag and it is particularly advantageous for that purpose.

The particular objects I have in view in the production of my present invention is to design a hand bag which can be manufactured very cheaply, which can be readily opened when desired, which has a large capacity, which can be carried in the hand and with slight changes be converted into a wallet to be carried at the side, and which when it is desirable may be folded up so as to occupy a comparatively small space. To accomplish these objects which I have thus generally set out, I have designed a hand bag possessing novel features of manufacture as I will more fully hereinafter describe and claim.

Speaking in a general way my invention may be said to consist of a flexible leather bag, having a flap at its upper end and provided at its sides with two loops through which straps are passed. The said straps extend through a suitable handle at the upper portion of the bag and by which it is to be carried. By tightening the said straps, the flexible bag will be collapsed more or less according to its contents, the said flap will be securely held in p'osition,and the said handle will be brought into close engagement with the top of the bag whereby a very compact and secure device is obtained.

When it is desired to gain access to the interior of the bag, the handle is moved around to the side of the same and away from the flap. The said straps which extend over the flap are now slipped to one side, thereby alnear the top thereof 1 provide two loops which come into play when it is desired to carrythe bag at the side like a wallet. In order to carry out this idea I detach the straps from the bag and buckle them together so as to form a single long strap, the ends of which are to be passed down through the said loops and are then to be brought together either at the front or back and fastened. Instead of making use of this arrangement however, the said loops may be supplanted by a buckle to which the said straps may engage.

For a better comprehension of my invention attention is directed to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specifica tion and in which- Figure 1 represents a side view of my invention used as a hand bag, showing in dotted lines the method to be adopted in using it as a wallet. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the method of getting into the bag, and Fig. 3 a top view with the flap in a raised position showing the interior of the bag.

In all of the above views corresponding parts are designated by the same letters of reference.

A represents the main portion of the bag. This is preferably made of a single piece of soft flexible leather, having its ends sewed as I have illustrated, but it may be made of cloth or any other similar material. The sewing of these ends should preferably constitute a turned-in seam, for the sake of neatness which can be made in any suitable manner, the eas iest way being to sew the ends when the bag is turned wrong side out. The turned-in seam at each end of the bag is covered by a cross piece a, of leather which is sewed into the interior of the bag. These cross pieces not only serve to conceal the turned-in seam, and to prevent them from chafing articles within the bag, but they also constitute small pockets in which articles of toilet, such as a comb or brush may be deposited.

B, B, are leather loops which are sewed to the side of the bag beneath the flap C but these loops may be sewed if so desired to the bottom of the bag. These loops B B may be secured to the front or back of the bag or to both. Passing through these loops B B and extending entirely around the bag are two straps D of the usual variety. These straps engage with a slotted handle E which resembles in all respects the handle of the Wellknown shawl strap.

F F are leather loops which are sewed to the ends of the bag nearthe upper end thereof, the particular objects of which will be presently described.

When articles have been placed within the bag, the straps D are tightened, causing the bag A to collapse more or less, whereby the article within the same will be firmly held. The act of tightening the straps D also binds the flap to its desired position, and causes the handle E to engage therewith whereby the flap will be held in a closed position. When it is desired to open the bag the handle is moved around to the side so as to assume the position shown in Fig. 1 (dotted lines.) The free ends of the straps D can now be slipped over the ends of the bag so as to release the flap, allowing the same to be raised and giving access to the inside of the bag.

Should it be desired to use my present invention as a wallet I proceed to first remove the two straps D and buckle them together atone end so as to form a single long strap. The ends of this strap are now passed down through the loops F F, and are joined together either at the front or-back of the bag. The proper height on the side at which this wallet is to be carried can be readily attained by a suitable adjustment of the straps B B upon each other. It will be understood that should the bag be entirely full other articles may be held against the side of the bag by the strap D, and this feature of my invention is of especial adaptability in carrying canes or umbrellas. It will be also evident that the handle E and the straps D may be used independently of the bag as in ordinary shawl straps.

Having now described my invention,what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

As an improved article of manufacture, a hand bag, consisting of abag A, having a flap 0, made of flexible leather sewed together at the ends with an inturned seam; cross pieces a, sewed Within the bag to cover said seams and constituting pockets; loops B, on the side of the bag; straps D, passing through said loops and a handle E, on said straps D, and adapted to be moved on the same, for the purpose mentioned, substantially as set forth.

JOHN M. ALLEN.

In presence of S. W. HALL, GEo. L. LUoE. 

